Solid and Hazardous Waste Chapter 21

1
Solid and Hazardous WasteChapter 21
Solid wastes are only raw materials were too
stupid to use. Arthur C. Clarke
2
Key Concepts

• Types and amounts of wastes
• Methods to reduce waste
• Methods of dealing with waste
• Hazardous waste regulation in the US

3
Wasting Resources

• Industrial and agriculture waste
• Municipal solid waste

Fig. 21-2, pg. 526

• US 1,600 lb/person

4
Hazardous Wastes

• Contains one or more of 39 identified compounds
• Catches fire easily
• Reactive or explosive
• Corrodes metal containers

5
NOT Hazardous Wastes

• Radioactive wastes
• Household wastes
• Mining wastes
• Oil and gas drilling wastes
• Liquids containing organic hydrocarbons
• Cement kiln dust
• lt 100 kg (220 lb) per month

6
Producing Less Waste and Pollution

• Waste management (high waste approach)
• Burying, burning, shipping
• Waste prevention (low waste approach)
• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Chemical or biological treatment
• Burial

7
Dealing with Material Use and Wastes
Fig. 21-3, pg 528
8
Dealing with Hazardous Wastes
Fig. 21-4, pg 530
9
Solutions Cleaner Production

• Ecoindustrial revolution
• Industrial ecology
• Closed material cycles
• Wastes become raw materials
• Biomimicry

Refer to Solutions p. 533
10
Solutions Selling Services Instead of Things

• Service-flow economy
• Uses a minimum amount of material
• Products last longer
• Products are easier to maintain, repair, and
  recycle
• Customized services needed by customers

See Individuals Matter, pg. 534
11
Reuse

• Extends resource supplies
• Maintains high-quality matter
• Reduced energy use
• Refillable beverage containers
• Reusable shipping containers and grocery bags

See Solutions pg. 535
12
Recycling

• Primary
  (closed-loop)
• Post consumer waste
• Secondary
  (open loop)

Fig. 21-6, p 535
13
Characteristics of Recyclable Materials

• Easily isolated from other waste
• Available in large quantities
• Valuable
• Pay-as-you-throw garbage collection

14
Benefits of Recycling
Fig. 21-7 pg. 536
15
Recycling in the US

• Centralized recycling of mixed waste (MRFs)
• Separated recycling
• Economic benefits
• Increasing recycling in the US

See Case Study pg. 540
16
Case Studies Recycling Aluminum, Wastepaper, and
Plastics

• 40 of aluminum recycled in US
• Recycled aluminum uses over 90 fewer resources
• Paper preconsumer vs. postconsumer recycling
• 10 or less of plastic recycled in US
• Plastics can be very difficult to recycle

17
Detoxifying Wastes

• Bioremediation
• Microorganisms break down wastes
• Phytoremediation
• Removal of wastes from the soil

18
Burning Wastes

• Mass burn incineration
• Air pollution
• Waste to energy

Fig. 21-11, pg. 543
19
Burying Wastes

• Sanitary landfill
• Leachate collection
• Monitoring wells
• Emit greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane)
• Space near where waste is produced

20
Sanitary Landfill
Fig. 21-12, pg. 544
21
Deep-well Disposal
Fig. 21-14, pg. 546
22
Hazardous Waste Landfill
Fig. 21-16, pg. 547
23
Above Ground Hazardous Waste Disposal
Fig. 21-17, pg. 547
24
Exporting Wastes

• Shipping to developing countries
• Potentially huge profits for exporters
• Basel Convention on Hazardous Waste
• Many developing countries refusing wastes

25
Case Studies Lead

• Lead poisoning major problem in children
• Leaded gasoline (phased out by 1986)
• Lead paint (banned in 1970)
• Lead in plastics
• Lead in plumbing
• Progress is being made in reducing lead

Primary Sources of Lead
26
Case Studies Mercury

• Vaporized elemental Mercury
• Fish contaminated with methyl mercury
• Natural inputs
• Emission control
• Prevention of contamination

27
Case Studies Chlorine

• Environmentally damaging and potential health
  threat
• Plastics
• Solvents
• Paper and pulp bleaching
• Water disinfection
• Many safer and cheaper substitutes are available

Sources of Chlorine
28
Case Studies Dioxins

• Potentially highly toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons
• Waste incineration
• Fireplaces
• Coal-fired power plants
• Paper productions
• Sewage sludge

Sources of Dioxins
29
Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• Comprehensive Environmental Response,
  Compensation, and Liability Act
• Superfund
• National Priority List
• Polluter-pays principle
• Brownfields

See Solutions pg. 554
30
Solutions Achieving a Low-Waste Society

• Local grassroots action
• International ban on 12 persistent organic
  pollutants (the dirty dozen)
• Cleaner production
• Improved resource productivity
• Service flow economies